Estelle on "Make Her Say": "I've never been that naked in a video"

Shanee is a screenwriter and educator living in Los Angeles. She created the web series She Blinded Me w Science to encourage young girls to explore science and technology. You can also read her blog where she chronicles her filmmaking ...

An exercise in being free

Grammy Award-winning artist Estelle has a new single out and the video is heating up the internet. We sat down with the singer to find out what it was like to shoot this provocative, sexually empowering video and why it's important to be yourself.

This brave video features not only Estelle writhing on a bed, but also some very real people as they explore sexual empowerment. From blindfolds to mouthfuls of sticky sweet honey, many fantasies make their way into this hot new video.

Perhaps best known for her #1 song "American Boy" featuring Kanye West, Estelle is on a mission to reveal new aspects of herself. We wanted to know what it was like taking such a big risk.

"I was nervous because I've never been that naked in a video before, or writhing on a bed or having a guy on me. It was strange and a little weird."

From our point of view, she seems to be having a great time. We asked her what it was like being somewhat intimate with a stranger during the shooting.

"Everyone was trying to be very professional. The actor was asking 'Where can I put my hands?' and I was like, 'Don't go too far, don't lose your mind,' all while I was singing. It was an exercise in being free and being in the moment. You can't walk into a situation like that say, 'No, don't touch me.' Luckily, I had worked a lot with the director before and really trusted him."

But Estelle wasn't the only person exposing herself in the video. They also used some non-actors that defy glam music video stereotypes.

"I want to applaud the other people in the video. A lot of them weren't actors, they were just regular people. Some of them had just met. They were into it!"

So why stray from the music video fantasy land, where everyone is conventionally beautiful? Estelle wants to cut through as much of the "bulls***" as she can.

With the hope of helping women feel comfortable in their own skin, Estelle has posted a natural, un-Photoshopped, makeup-free selfie on Instagram and is encouraging other women to do the same.

"In my experience, people want to see me in my most natural state. This is me and what I'm doing right now. It's also about celebrating women who don't put on a crapload of makeup to take a selfie. Some women don't have time for that. Some women are juggling multiple jobs, school and kids. This is real life and I wanted the video to speak to those women."

Use #NoFilter on Twitter or Instagram if you're brave enough to post a photo of your natural self.